


The Very Model Of A Modern... British Navy Captain...

by MsJackofAllFandoms



Series: 30 Day Writing Challenge 2011 [9]
Category: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Observation piece, References to Gorillas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-14
Updated: 2011-04-14
Packaged: 2018-09-23 21:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9678608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsJackofAllFandoms/pseuds/MsJackofAllFandoms
Summary: What does it mean to be Alpha?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I completely blagged the fic to get it done in a day. I had originally written a comparison to foxes then realised they mostly don't run in packs.  
> This was, of course, originally written in 2011 for my 30 day writing challenge.

_Alpha: al-fuh  
/ˈælfə/  
–adjective  
a. (especially of animals) having the highest rank of its sex in a dominance hierarchy: the alpha female.  
b. being the most prominent, talented, or aggressive person in a group: the alpha male of investment bankers. _  
  
Stephen loved to observe. Whether it was animals, small insects or people, they were all equally observable to him. In fact, he felt the more he observed animals and insects, the more he could understand people and their behaviours. The differences might have been large contrasts, but the similarities were frightful.  
  
One might rant, rave and protest the notions, but Stephen found these notions to be fact and not much else. Take the family of Gorillas he’d had the fortune of spying on (from a somewhat questionable safe distance) whilst the bustling crewmen of _The Sophie_ were on off-shore leave for three days, waiting for their next papers.   
  
Gorilla families, for lack of a better term, lived and travelled in packs. There was an alpha male to every pack who lead them to safety, to food and to shelter. He fathered the next generation of gorillas with the females he chose to mate with and any other males in the pack were either followers or challengers. Those who challenged the alpha male had to be stronger than the male or they were run out or killed. There was no other option.   
  
The Navy were like Gorillas, Stephen thought. On comparison, Jack was the Alpha Male and the crew men were the lesser males who either followed, or suffered the consequences. Or as the Articles of War stated, “Shall suffer death.”  
  
On reflection to the nature of the Alpha Male, a male who showed power through his courage and sense of competitive behaviour, who saw a goal and thrived through sweat, blood and tears to get it, yes, Stephen was quite sure Jack made the very model of an Alpha Male. After all, his very nature is to come out of wars unbeaten. Even if one was to argue the safety part of the role, well…  
  
That was subject to the requirement of the service. Those who signed up to the navy knew that it could very well be a death sentence, the only power Jack had was that he would never send his men on a suicide mission.   
  
Yes, a very good Alpha Male indeed.


End file.
